Perfecting your seafood boil recipe can be just as difficult as cooling your boil before the soak. But at Boil Boss, we’re always looking to innovate and improve the way things are done. Shrimp boil recipes are no exception. Great for fresh crawfish or shrimp, this recipe is made with fresh seafood, smoked sausage, potatoes, and corn, and gets boiled in a stock of onions, garlic, hot sauce, and more for tons of delicious flavor. Gather your ingredients and crawfish boil equipment, and let’s get cooking with this step-by-step crawfish boil recipe.
Seafood Boil Recipe
Recipe serves 10 - 15 people
NOTE: This boil recipe is based on using an 80 to 120-quart pot and boiling one batch. It’s important to note that if you plan to use a smaller pot, you may need to boil multiple batches.
INGREDIENTS
- Crawfish, 1 Sack (30-40 pounds)
- Foundation Boil Dry Seasoning, 6 lbs.
- Onions, two 3 lb. bags (cut in half)
- Celery, 3 bunches (including leaves)
- Garlic, 2 bags
- Potatoes, 1 sack
- Frog Bone Cajun Pepper Hot Sauce, 2 bottles
- Lemons, 2-3 bags
- Tangerines, 2 bags
- Smoked Sausage, 1 pack
- Frozen Corn on the Cob, 1 pack
- Mushrooms, 1-2 packs
- Zatarain’s® Lemon Liquid Shrimp & Crab Boil, half 8 oz. bottle
EQUIPMENT
- Propane Tank
- Burner
- Pot
- Boil Boss™ Crawfish Cooler
- Boil Boss™ Crawfish Paddle
Shrimp and Crawfish Boil Recipe Steps
1. Fill the Pot with 12 Gallons of Water
- 18” diameter pot = fill 11”
- 19” diameter pot = 9.75”
- 20” diameter pot = 8.75”
- 21” diameter pot = 8”
- 22” diameter pot = 7.25”
NOTE: One of the most overlooked steps is getting the amount of water right will make or break the boil!
2. Clean Crawfish
Wash your crawfish with water until completely clean and clear. The easiest and most effective way is to use the crawfish washer. Remove any dead crawfish before adding them to your crawfish boil recipe.
3. Ignite Burner
Ignite the burner and set to medium heat. Do not over-crank the regulators to ensure you don’t freeze your tank over. You’ll need the pressure when you add your crawfish.
4. While Water is Heating, ADD:
- Seafood Boil Seasoning Bag
- Celery
- Onions and Garlic
- Zatarain’s® Lemon Liquid Shrimp & Crab Boil
- Frog Bone Cajun Pepper Hot Sauce
5. Juice Lemons and Tangerines
Juice the citrus into a large container and reserve for later. After juicing, add 10 to 12 rinds into the boil.
6. Cook Down for 20 to 25 Minutes
Once water has reached a boil, cook the crawfish down for 20-25 minutes. You’re making a stock and looking for everything to soften, especially the garlic. Once finished, sample the stock and add additional seasoning to taste.
7. Add Potatoes
Boil potatoes until al dente. Stab with a knife to test for tenderness. Sweet potatoes can be cut into smaller chunks.
8. ADD:
- Crawfish
- Smoked Sausage
- Frozen Corn
- Mushrooms (add sooner if you prefer them softer)
- Other Lagniappe Ingredients
NOTE: Adding additional ingredients will affect the outcome of the crawfish boil recipe, as some items absorb more liquid/seasoning than others.
9. Increase Heat to a Rolling Boil
Crank the propane jet burner all the way, returning the water to a rolling boil. Let cook for 3 to 5 minutes. DO NOT overcook!
NOTE: If boiling smaller crawfish, cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
10. Turn Off the Heat and Install the Boil Boss™
This is one of the most important steps to prevent overcooking your seafood. Cut the fire, install the 360-degree cooling ring to your pot, and start the cooldown process. Using ice can dilute the flavors you’ve just worked so hard to build. You also want to add your reserved lemon and tangerine juice to the shrimp boil recipe. Stir the pot constantly with the Boil Boss™ crawfish paddle until the temperature lowers to 155 degrees. This helps ensure even temperature distribution.
11. Soak for 25 to 30 Minutes
Crawfish Boil Recipe Tip: Agitate the basket before removing. This will distribute any seasoning that has settled during the soak.
Like our innovative solutions, our shrimp boil recipe was designed to make your seafood boil less stressful. Take the guesswork out of temperature control, temperature monitoring, and even seafood boil seasoning with Boil Boss. Try out our patented designs and crawfish boil recipes to boil like a boss.
Seasoning/Water Calculator
The key to any great boil is nailing the seasoning to water ratio. Use the calculator below for guidance on your specific pot.
As a rule of thumb, we typically use 6 pounds of seasoning per batch in an 80 to 100 qt pot. For every follow-up batch, we add 2 pounds of seasoning.